A Spiritually Based Group Intervention for Combat Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the feasibility, effect sizes, and satisfaction of mantram repetition—the spiritual practice of repeating a sacred word/phrase throughout the day—for managing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Design: A two group (intervention vs. control) by two time (pre- and postintervention) experimental design was used. Methods: Veterans were randomly assigned to intervention ( n = 14) or delayed-treatment control ( n = 15). Measures were PTSD symptoms, psychological distress, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Findings: Thirty-three male veterans were enrolled, and 29 (88%) completed the study. Large effect sizes were found for reducing PTSD symptom severity ( d = –.72), psychological distress ( d = –.73) and increasing quality of life ( d = –.70). Conclusions: A spiritual program was found to be feasible for veterans with PTSD. They reported moderate to high satisfaction. Effect sizes show promise for symptom improvement but more research is needed.